Bradley Urges a Rapid Counterattack Against German Forces During the Battle of the Bulge (1944)

Date: December 21, 1944

Created By: H.R. Bull

Original or Replica: Original

Era: Advance to the Rhine, The General

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: Harold R. Bull Papers, Box 2, Additional Papers, 1944-1948; NAID #12113396

This December 21, 1944 memorandum records the substance of a telephone conversation with General Omar Bradley concerning Allied plans for a counterattack during the Battle of the Bulge. Major General Harold R. Bull, SHAEF’s Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, reports Bradley’s views after Bradley had spoken with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bradley emphasizes that the Allied counterattack should begin promptly rather than waiting for ideal conditions or additional forces to become available.

Bradley proposes beginning the attack with a corps of three divisions and allowing subsequent operations to depend upon how the battlefield situation developed. He worries that postponing the offensive for a predetermined period could create a loss of momentum that would be difficult to recover. His plan therefore calls for attacking in depth and bringing additional troops forward as quickly as possible behind the initial assault, providing greater strength as the operation progressed.

The memorandum also shows Bradley’s intention to maintain close control over the offensive. Rather than committing to a rigid timetable, he planned to establish operational phase lines and monitor the attack closely, adjusting its progress according to changing conditions. Bradley also had another division of III Corps available and believed it could participate if necessary.

Finally, after discussing the planned northern attack with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, Bradley estimated that George Patton’s attack from the south and Montgomery’s operations from the north would begin no more than about 48 hours apart.

The document provides a valuable look at Allied planning for coordinated counterattacks during the Battle of the Bulge and Bradley’s determination to regain the initiative quickly rather than delay for a larger buildup of forces.